Baxter and the Jeffrey Modell Foundation Celebrate World Day of Immunology, Dedicate New Center for Primary Immunodeficiencies at the Federal University of Sao Paulo

Deerfield, IL/Sao Paulo, Brazil, April 29, 2009 – Today, the Jeffrey Modell Foundation (JMF) together with Baxter International Inc. celebrated the opening of the Jeffrey Modell Diagnostic Center for Primary Immunodeficiencies at the Federal University of Sao Paulo, located in Sao Paulo,Brazil. The announcement coincides with the 5 th World Day of Immunology (WDI), a day acknowledging how the immune system works to better help people avoid illness and infections. WDI was established through the European Federation of Immunological Societies (EFIS) to strengthen the public awareness of immunology as a basis for individual health and well-being. Baxter WDI awareness activities span from Brazil to the United States and Germany.

“We are thrilled to support this important work at the Federal University of Sao Paulo, in collaboration with Baxter,” said Fred Modell, co-founder of the JMF. “Today, 19 countries have expressed support for WDI and the need for more awareness. We have seen a large, undiagnosed population that continues to suffer from these diseases, which keep them from enjoying a full life. They often miss 30 or 40 days of school or work every year. Their illness interrupts their activities, detours their plans and shatters their dreams.”

The JMF diagnostic center in Sao Paulo is one of only 51 of its kind in the world and is expected to be the first in a growing network of centers in Latin America focusing on the diagnosis, care and treatment of people suffering with primary immunodeficiency disease (PID). The center is part of the Federal University of Sao Paulo, which focuses on the interrelated activities of teaching and research for national and international leadership in health sciences. PID encompasses more than 150 different forms of disease caused by an immune system that does not function properly.

“The educational and diagnostic programs at the new center will help to improve the diagnosis and treatment of patients with PID,” said Dr. Beatriz Tavares Costa Carvalho, adjunct professor of allergy, immunology and rheumatology for the pediatric department of the Federal University of Sao Paulo.

In addition to dedicating the new PID diagnostic center, Baxter is supporting WDI activities in the United States and Germany. Through the EFIS, WDI was first championed by Professor Rheinhold E. Schmidt, MD, center director of immunology and rheumatology at the Hannover Medical School in Hannover, Germany. On WDI, Professor Schmidt is hosting more than 700 local biology students at the Baxter-sponsored JMF center at the Hannover Medical School to participate in an immunology-learning program. In the United States, Baxter and the JMF are partnering on additional PID awareness in communities across the country where Baxter-JMF centers reside, as well as an educational outreach effort to primary care, pediatric and specialist clinicians in the state of New York.

“Many people with primary immunodeficiency continue to be undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, causing strain on families and the health care system. This day serves to highlight the need for awareness and treatment of this life-threatening immune system disorder that often goes undetected,” said Professor Schmidt.

Baxter and the JMF are long-standing partners in the effort to raise awareness and increase diagnosis of PID globally. In addition to establishing diagnostic centers around the world, Baxter and JMF have collaborated to raise PID awareness in the U.S. and Europe. Baxter has been sponsoring JMF centers worldwide including providing a grant for the center in Brazil.

“The JMF’s unwavering dedication to early diagnosis and treatment of PID is evident through their many very successful endeavors, the most recent being the opening of this modern diagnostic facility in Brazil,” said Larry Guiheen, president of Biopharmaceuticals for Baxter’s BioScience business. “Baxter is proud to collaborate with JMF and the Federal University of Sao Paulo to increase diagnosis and improve the lives of so many patients with PID.”

About Baxter’s BioTherapeutics Business

BioTherapeutics, which is a unit of Baxter’s BioScience business, focuses on three key therapeutic areas: immunoglobulin therapy, pulmonology and critical care therapies. Its global commitment is to be a partner with the healthcare community, provide life-saving therapies that advance patient care, and enable the achievement of outcomes through innovation, science and technology. BioTherapeutics aims to achieve this every day through a broad portfolio of therapeutic brands.

About Jeffrey Modell Foundation

Vicki and Fred Modell founded the Jeffrey Modell Foundation in 1987, in memory of their son Jeffrey, who died at the age of fifteen from complications of Primary Immunodeficiency – a genetic condition that is chronic, serious and often fatal. JMF is a global nonprofit organization devoted to early and precise diagnosis, meaningful treatments, and ultimately cures through clinical and basic research, physician education, patient support, advocacy, and public awareness. JMF is a trademark of Jeffrey Modell Foundation.

About Baxter International Inc.

Baxter International Inc., through its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures and markets products that save and sustain the lives of people with hemophilia, immune disorders, infectious diseases, kidney disease, trauma, and other chronic and acute medical conditions. As a global, diversified healthcare company, Baxter applies a unique combination of expertise in medical devices, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology to create products that advance patient care worldwide.